I know I'm fickle when it comes to iPhone cases. But honestly, I don't know if I will ever have a reason to replace the Power Support bumper currently on my iPhone 5. This Japanese import (yes, it was expensive for a bumper), is sleek and sexy. Power Support Japan has had these bumpers available for quite some time on the iPhone 4/S, but due to the difficulty of getting them thru online importers, I was never quite interested. I am really glad I was able to pick this sleek beauty up through Amazon. I had originally purchased the Blue/Black version of this case. I wasn't really happy with the glossy blue color but I was happy with the way the PS bumper looked and felt in my hand. The new Slate version (officially called black), arrived today and it is wonderful. The plastic is a matte feel as opposed to the glossy, slippery feel of the blue bumper. The feel is equivalent to the SGP Neo Hybrid EX which is to say there is some slippery feel but nowhere near some of the slippery feeling plastic cases I have had in the past. Overall, this case is pure perfection in terms of look and feel. This bumper looks like it belongs on the iPhone 5.

Understanding that nothing is "truly" perfect, the Power Support Bumper does have a couple of disadvantages, one of which is really nothing major. The first disadvantage is the deep cutout for the side mute switch. I haven't had much issue with getting the switch flipped. Second, in order to get that "click" feedback for the sleep/wake button, you need to apply one (or more) clear stickers on top of the power button. Power Support includes 5 stickers and the instructions (in Japanese) show applying them to the interior of the case. I needed about 2 of them applied to the power button to get that satisfying click feedback. Once the case is on, you forget about them. The side volume buttons are very responsive, even without the stickers. I didn't feel the need to apply any there. Other than the aforementioned "issues", everything adds up to make this a really nice bumper.Finally, the Lightning connector cutout is shaped wide enough to accomodate Apple's 30 pin-to-Ligthning cable connector (.02) which is a wonderful thing considering I can once again plug the phone into my iHome alarm clock. In terms of the headphone jack, I have only used my phone with the Apple Earbuds and the Bose over-the-ears that I have. Both worked perfectly. You can pick up one of these beauties at Amazon for $44 USD. Expensive, I know, but if you want sleek and sexy, you have to pay for it. Amazon Link

My thoughts:

Pros:

Sleek and Slick looking, feels great in the hand

Slate color almost a perfect match for a black iPhone 5

Volume buttons are flush with case and have nice tactile feedback when pressed

Inner black portion of the bumper provides lay-on-table design on both front and back